In a recent article on Thai PBS World, long-time ASEAN expert Kavi Chongkittavorn recalled stories about Vu Khoan - a talented Vietnamese diplomat with many memories associated with ASEAN.
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| Article by ASEAN expert Kavi Chongkittavorn about Mr. Vu Khoan on Thai PBS World. (Screenshot) |
In late 1994, Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Khoan led a delegation to the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. At that time, Mr. Vu Khoan carried out an important task, which was to learn about ASEAN before Vietnam made the historic decision of whether or not to join and become the 7th member of ASEAN.
ASEAN expert Kavi Chongkittavorn, then special assistant to the ASEAN Secretary-General, recorded Mr. Vu Khoan's questions and views during the 1.5-hour meeting with senior officials of the Secretariat.
One of the first questions Mr. Vu Khoan asked was “What are the benefits of being a member of ASEAN?” or “How many agreements and conventions must Vietnam participate in and comply with when joining?”… Mr. Vu Khoan was very curious about the rules and regulations in ASEAN.
Mr. Vu Khoan's questions also focused on the bloc's foreign relations, as Vietnam is promoting its position in the region and internationally. Near the end of the session, Mr. Vu Khoan also sent a series of questions for the Secretariat to answer later.
According to expert Kavi Chongkittavorn, in the eyes of those working on ASEAN, Mr. Vu Khoan is known as a negotiator with a gentle demeanor but strong arguments. The Vietnamese diplomat speaks fluent English, has a quick mind and flexible responses.
Vietnam joining ASEAN was an unprecedented event for ASEAN at that time, many people still expressed doubts about whether Vietnam could integrate into ASEAN or not. But clearly, Vietnam has done very well, after 28 years, Vietnam has become one of the leading members of ASEAN.
After Vietnam joined ASEAN, Mr. Vu Khoan joined other senior officials to discuss cooperation aspects within ASEAN. At a senior officials meeting in Brunei Darussalam, which assumed the role of ASEAN Chair in 1995, Mr. Vu Khoan was the one who helped other ASEAN colleagues agree on the abbreviation of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
During the two-day discussion, ASEAN officials could not agree on the acronym AEM for the conference, as it overlapped with the acronym for ASEAN Economic Meeting. Finally, Vu Khoan proposed that the Asia-Europe Meeting be abbreviated as “ASEM”. According to Vu Khoan, this acronym would solve the problem. In Vietnam, acronyms are often used using the first two letters of a name or title.
There was a pause in the meeting and then the chair of the ASEAN senior officials meeting asked if there were any objections. There was another pause. The chair then announced that there were no objections. It was a memorable moment in the annals of ASEAN's development.
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